Like Jozy Altidore, U.S. forward Aron Johannsson was dealing with an injury throughout the World Cup. However, on Thursday AZ Alkmaar team director Earnie Stewart confirmed that Johannsson was dealing with his knock before the tournament ever kicked off. That could be the reason why the 23-year-old forward was limited to just 67 minutes in four matches for the Americans.

Staying with the U.S., manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad exceeded many expectations at the World Cup by making it out the “Group of Death” and nearly taking Belgium to penalty kicks. However, the Americans’ effort wasn’t enough to see its stock rise in the latest FIFA rankings. The United States fell two spots to No. 15, while fellow CONCACAF rival Costa Rica jumped 12 spots to No. 16 after an incredible tournament run which ended in the quarterfinals. On the heels of its fourth World Cup title, Germany jumped Argentina to take the top spot.

In Major League Soccer, Sporting Kansas City continues to find success despite not having used the same roster twice in 2014. Much of that success can be attributed to the play of midfielder Benny Feilhaber, who has been a consistent force in the reigning MLS champions’ midfield. That was no more evident than in Wednesday’s 2-1 stoppage-time victory in Columbus against the Crew, where Feilhaber scored the game-winning goal with a beauty of a strike.